Chapter 26:
"The meteorite iron you requested, Director, has arrived," a man with a serious face and a bow and arrow on his back announced, pushing open the door. "It may not be heavy, but I believe it should be sufficient..."
His voice trailed off as he spotted Mark sprawled on a massive chunk of gold, casually munching on fried chicken. Coulson and several agents were sweating as they tried to saw through the gold beneath Mark, while Nick Fury, nursing a half-empty glass of cola, fought to maintain his composure.
The scene was so bizarre that even Hawkeye was momentarily speechless.
"Agent Barton," Nick Fury said, gesturing towards Mark. "Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Mark, our new technical advisor."
"And this..." Fury began, but Mark cut him off.
"Oh, I know him," Mark interjected. "Hawkeye, the archer who partnered with Black Widow, right? He might not be the strongest Avenger, but he's a valuable asset... a bit of a softie, though. Retired for his wife and kids. You should appreciate him."
"So, you can see the future too?" Nick Fury couldn't help but ask. "Is there anything you don't know?"
"Of course, I'm not omniscient," Mark replied with a shrug. "Haven't you heard the saying? 'Even the best laid plans...' Compared to the vastness of the universe, humans are pretty insignificant. Sometimes, knowing too much can drive you crazy."
"Wait, is that really an old saying?" Nick Fury questioned. "That whole 'knowing too much leads to madness' thing sounds like something out of Lovecraft."
"What? There's Cthulhu in this world too?" Mark exclaimed, surprised.
"What do you mean by 'this world'?" Nick Fury's eyes narrowed. "Where are you really from?"
"My own world, of course," Mark replied nonchalantly, playing with words. "Look, explaining all this is a hassle, and I'm too lazy to get into it. Just hand over the meteorite iron. I need to research some advanced alchemy."
"You said the same thing when you took Captain America's shield," Nick Fury remarked. "But you barely even touched it before tossing it aside. I doubt advanced alchemy is something you can just pick up that easily."
"Is alchemy really that hard?" Mark retorted. "Besides, do you understand witchcraft? Are you some kind of Sorcerer Supreme? Advanced alchemy is incredibly complex, even if you heard it explained a thousand times, you might not get it. But as a gamer, I've got the cheat codes—I can learn it instantly."
Mark stretched out his hand.
"Give it to me!"
Hawkeye's suitcase suddenly jerked, and in the next second, an unseen force ripped it towards Mark, causing it to disintegrate mid-air, revealing a chunk of dark meteorite iron ore.
"..."
Hawkeye instinctively reached for his bow as his belongings were snatched away.
"Agent Barton, stand down," Nick Fury intervened, trying to de-escalate the situation. "He's with us, and that was meant for him anyway. Besides, he already paid us for it."
"..."
Hawkeye, hearing his superior's words, seemed to understand. He glanced meaningfully at the gold beneath Mark and silently holstered his bow.
Mark, meanwhile, was completely absorbed in examining the black meteorite iron. Though he called it "examining," Mark had already figured out the system's logic. He caressed the ore like he was petting a cat.
Soon, a notification sounded in his mind.
[System Prompt: Researched atomic structures such as 'Primitive Vibranium,' 'Adamantine,' 'Black Meteorite Iron,' and you have obtained download permission for a new module.]
[System Prompt: Downloading additional associated metal alloys of Tinker's Construct.]
"Just as I suspected..."
Feeling the information flood his mind, Mark nodded. His hunch was right. Adamantine and Vibranium were indeed alloy modules associated with Tinker's Construct.
If he remembered correctly, these special alloys had powerful attributes. The "Slaughter" attribute, for instance, increased a weapon's power with every enemy killed. And the "Brain Death" attribute could shut down an enemy's AI on impact, turning them into mindless drones.
Just thinking about these abilities was incredible. But if Mark could bring these metals to life, what kind of wonders could he create?
With "Slaughter" in one hand and a "Paralysis Inducer" in the other...
He'd be unstoppable.
"Alright, this time, I've really hit the jackpot."
Feeling a surge of excitement, Mark tossed the meteorite iron back to Hawkeye. "When I get back, I'm building a monster grinder. Then, I'll truly be invincible."
"What's a monster grinder?"
Nick Fury asked, "Is it like a wizard's tower?"
"It's more of a gaming thing, I think." Surprisingly, it was Hawkeye who spoke up. "Sounds like a structure for efficiently killing monsters."
"Hmm?"
Nick Fury's eyes flickered, his thoughts unreadable.
Soon, a group of researchers approached Nick Fury, requesting permission to use cranes or explosives. They couldn't lift the hammer in the crater by hand, so how could they study it? They wanted to test the density and composition of the unknown metal. These researchers were a bold bunch. Since human strength failed, they turned to machines. The power of science knows no bounds.
"The hammer really can't be lifted?"
Scanning the report from his subordinate, Nick Fury seemed intrigued. "Are you sure you've tried everything?"
"Yes, Director."
The researchers were practically giddy. "The metal is unlike anything we've ever seen. It doesn't match any element on the periodic table. Plus, there's a powerful electromagnetic field around it that messes with our equipment..."
"Authorize the crane."
After a moment's thought, Nick Fury made a decision. "But no explosives. Let's try..."
He was interrupted by Mark.
"Give it up. It's supposedly forged from the core of a dying star, infused with magic. Science won't work. Not even a million cranes could budge it."
"Oh, is that so?"
Nick Fury seemed to remember something. He turned to Mark.
"Since science is useless... what about you?"
"Can you lift it?"